Godzilla (3D)

I'm of an age where I can remember the build up to Roland Emmerich's  'Godzilla' movie back in 1998. I distinctly remember a teaser trailer showing a museum curator describing a skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex to a group of museum goers. Then all of a sudden Godzilla's foot crashes down on to it.....  I also remember how disappointing the eventual film was..

This one had a few plus points in its favour.. Firstly, Gareth Edwards was given the directorial duties. I'm a fan of 'Monsters'. Most 'normal' people weren't impressed due to the lack of said Monsters... but I enjoyed it.  

Secondly, the Toho Film company (those responsible for the 1950's original) gave Gareth and the movie their blessing.. 

So, on with the film. We start off in Japan in the late 90's and after a serious of mysterious tremors an "earth quake" destroys the Nuclear power plant that Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) and his wife Sandra Brody (Juliette Binoche) are working in..  Cut to the present day and we find Joe still in Japan. His son Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has grown up and moved to America where he's become a..... lets call it Bomb Specialist.  He's married Elle (Elizabeth Olsen) and together they have a young son.
Joe is still researching the strange tremors that destroyed the power plant and killed Sandra, his wife when suddenly they start appearing again....

You could argue Godzillas thunder has been stolen with last years Pacific Rim.. And to a degree that's true, but luckily this film has a bit more substance to it.. Now I should point out I'm of an age... ahem...  where I can remember repeats of the original 'rubber suited' Godzilla movies such as 'Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla' and 'Son Of Godzilla'. This film has more in common with these classics than the afore mentioned 1998 offering.. I won't say too much to avoid plot spoilers but lets just say there's monster fighting..

I loved it. At 2 hours perhaps it's a little too long but that seems to be the norm these days. Definitely worth another look. Rating ****

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